Nitro Solutions is joined by distinguished Tampa technology evangelist and former Hillsborough County Commissioner, Mark Sharpe.
Tampa, Fla. – Sept. 19, 2017 – Nitro Solutions, a Tampa-based AI cyber defense company, today announced an addition to its strategic advisory board. Mark Sharpe will join the company to assist in guiding strategy for its cyber defense solution, NitroDefender™.
Sharpe is a prominent voice in Tampa’s technology community, and currently serves as chief potential officer for !P POTENTIAL UNLEASHED (formerly Tampa Innovation Alliance), an organization committed to creating a live, work and play innovation district in Tampa.
“We’re very excited to have Mark on board as an advisor,” said Pete Slade, Nitro’s founder and CTO. “We’ve worked with Mark numerous times, and he’s always been an outspoken supporter of Nitro. He is incredibly passionate about technology, and has a proven-effective record in funding initiatives and business expansion. I am confident he will be a tremendous asset to our team as we roll out NitroDefender.”
Sharpe is a 20-year Navy Intelligence Veteran who was elected to the Hillsborough County Commission in 2004, where he served 10 years before terming out in 2014. As chief potential officer of !P, he has successfully grown the organization’s membership beyond four initial anchor institutions (University of South Florida, Florida Hospital, Busch Gardens and Moffitt Cancer Center) to include over 250 businesses and community members.
Additionally, during his time at !P, Sharpe has negotiated $2 million in funding from Hillsborough County for development of an innovation district, and was awarded $1.25 million from the State of Florida for transportation, community engagement and branding. He also led a multifaceted collaborative effort resulting in a $3.8 million TechHire Grant and designation by the White House as a TechHire Community in 2016.
“Nitro Solutions is one of the most dynamic technology companies in the nation with a focus on commerce and defense industries,” Sharpe said. “I am honored to be asked to serve on the strategic advisory board and assist the Nitro team to implement its strategic plan.”
Nitro has worked closely with Sharpe in the past, most recently teaming with !P, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit, and private donors on HART’s HyperLINK initiative.
About Nitro Solutions:
Nitro Solutions is the first company to apply unsupervised deep neural networks to cybersecurity, improving the way commercial industries and government agencies combat cyber threats with NitroDefender™. With its advanced, multi-engine approach to cyber defense, Nitro delivers next-generation threat identification, accelerated response and threat prevention capabilities that help make the world a safer place. Founded in 2009 by machine-learning experts, Nitro is a woman-owned small business, whose innovative technology has earned it titles such as “Technology Company of the Year” by the Tampa Bay Technology Forum. Nitro has also been recognized as a member of the Inc. 500 for its exceptional growth, and twice named one of the top small businesses in the nation by the U.S. Chamber of the Commerce. To learn more, visit nitrosolutions.com